REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH OF WOMEN – SCIENCE
News:
Impacting a woman’s
freedom to reproductive choices
What's
in the news?
●
Recently, in X vs Union of India, the
Supreme Court of India declined permission to a woman who was seeking to
terminate a 26 week-long pregnancy.
What
is Reproductive autonomy?
●
Reproductive autonomy refers to an
individual’s right and ability to make informed decisions regarding their
reproductive health and choices without interference, coercion, or
discrimination.
●
It encompasses the freedom to decide
whether or when to have children, the number of children to have, and the
spacing between pregnancies.
●
Reproductive autonomy includes access to
comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including family planning
methods, contraceptives, sexual education, prenatal care, safe abortion
services, and support for reproductive health decisions.
Opportunities:
1. Advancing gender equality: India has a significant opportunity to
advance gender equality, which can have far-reaching positive effects on
various aspects of society, including economic growth, social progress and
inclusive development.
2. Economic growth potential: By increasing women’s labour force
participation by 10 percentage points, India could unlock significant economic
growth potential. It is estimated that this could contribute to more than 70%
of the potential GDP growth, amounting to an additional $770 billion by 2025.
3. Human capital development: Empowering women through education and
family planning can lead to the accumulation of human capital, which is crucial
for sustainable development and economic progress.
4. Harnessing women’s potential: By enabling women to participate
fully in various sectors, including science, technology, agriculture,
education, and healthcare, India can tap into the immense talent, ideas, and
innovation that women bring to the table.
5. Rights-based legislation and policies: India has the opportunity to
formulate and implement legislation and policies that empower women, girls, and
marginalized individuals, enabling them to assert their rights and make
life-changing personal decisions.
6. Inclusive economic development: Promoting gender equality and
empowering women can contribute to inclusive economic development by ensuring
equal opportunities and participation for all segments of society.
Challenges:
1.
Lack of physical autonomy: Despite the progress made, many
women in India continue to lack physical autonomy.
2. Limited decision-making power: According to the National Family
Health Survey, only 10% of women in India are independently able to make
decisions about their own health.
3. Acceptance of marital violence: The survey also reveals that 11% of
women believe that marital violence is acceptable if a woman refuses to have
sex with her husband.
4. Unplanned pregnancies: Nearly half of all pregnancies in India are
unplanned, highlighting a challenge in ensuring effective family planning
services and education.
5. Ongoing gender disparities: While progress has been made, there are
persistent gender disparities and inequalities that need to be addressed to
achieve true gender equality.
6. Societal attitudes: Attitudes and societal norms that perpetuate
gender-based discrimination and violence continue to pose challenges to women’s
empowerment.
WAY
FORWARD:
1.
Investments in women’s lives: Ensuring gender equality
and empowering women requires making investments in every stage of a woman’s
life, from childbirth to adolescence to maturity.
●
This includes providing access to quality
education, healthcare and support systems that enable women to make informed
choices and assert their rights.
2. Legislation and policies: Formulating and implementing rights-based
legislation and policies that empower women, girls, and marginalized
individuals is crucial.
●
This involves engaging with these groups,
understanding their needs, and creating an enabling environment that supports
their rights and decision-making.
3. Comprehensive reproductive health services: Continued efforts
should be made to provide comprehensive reproductive health services that are
accessible, affordable and of high quality.
●
This includes expanding the contraceptive
basket, ensuring access to family planning methods, information, counselling,
and emergency contraception.
4. Gender-just approaches: Adopting gender-just approaches and
solutions is essential for building a prosperous and inclusive India.
●
This involves challenging societal norms
and attitudes that perpetuate gender discrimination and violence, and promoting
gender equality as a fundamental value.